Alexander Sack (Belarusian: Alaksandar Sak, 14 August 1890 – 1937) was a Belarusian Catholic priest and a Catholic convert from Orthodoxy.

Biography

Alexander Sack was born on August 14, 1890, in

Navahrudak Novogrudok or Navahrudak (; ; , ; ) is a town in Grodno Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Novogrudok District. As of 2025, it has a population of 27,624. In the Middle Ages, the city was ruled by King Mindaugas' son ...

in a Belarusian peasant family. After the adoption of the manifesto of toleration in 1905 he and his family converted to Catholicism. He graduated from Pinsk school and studied at the Institute of Forestry in Saint Petersburg. In 1913, after the third year he dropped out and entered the Catholic seminary of Saint Petersburg. During his studies, he met with Branisłaŭ Epimoh-Šypiŭ and

Janka Kupała Ivan Daminikavich Lutsevich (; – 28 June 1942), better known by his pen name Yanka Kupala (Янка Купала), was a Belarusian poet and writer. Biography Early life Kupala was born on July 7, 1882, in Maladzyechna Raion, Viazynka, a f ...

. In 1917 he was ordained to the priesthood and served in the Mahiloŭ Vobłaść. In May 1917, he took part in the congress of the Belarusian Catholic priests in

Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...

. Sack was a member of the Union of Belarusian Catholic priests. In July 1918 he was appointed vicar of the church of

Smolensk Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest cities in Russia. It has been a regional capital for most of ...

, but for unknown reasons he didn't begin working. From 1919 to 1921 he lived and worked in

Škłoŭ Shklow is a town in Mogilev Region, Belarus, located north of Mogilev on the Dnieper River. It serves as the administrative center of Shklow District. It has a railway station on the line between Orsha and Mogilev. In 2009, its population was ...

. Spiritual authorities planned to send Sack to the service in

Petrograd Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

, however, he sent a letter to the administrator of the archdiocese of Mahiloŭ with a request to leave his homeland. He served in the Minsk Vobłaść and Mazyrščyna and used extensively Belarusian language in his pastoral activities. Alexander Sack was persecuted by the Soviet authorities. The first time he was arrested on June 24, 1930, for the cause of the "Union of Belarus 'liberation', staying here till 1934, and the second time he was arrested again in 1937. He was sentenced to death and was shot.

Sources

* Lit. : State Historical Archive, f. 826, Op. 1 case. 2297/535; * Archive of the KGB of Belarus (Minsk), the case. 20951-C; * CSL, f. 5, Op. 1 case. 1; * LMYanK, f. 1, Op. 1 case. 4; * Yanka Kupala, Skarynich; * * *

External links

Biography
on slounik.org {{DEFAULTSORT:Sack, Alexander 1890 births 1937 deaths People from Novogrudok People from Novogrudsky Uyezd Belarusian Eastern Catholics Converts to Eastern Catholicism from Eastern Orthodoxy Former Belarusian Orthodox Christians Catholics executed by the Soviet Union